Apparatus for reducing compounds.



, H. NIEWERTH.

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING COMPOUNDS.

APPLIGATION FILED 001". 21, 1913.

1,081,287. Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON, n, c.

UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANN NIEWERTH, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING COMPOUNDS.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN Nmwnnrrr, a citizen of the German Empire,residing in Berlin, in said German Empire, have invented a new anduseful Apparatus for Reducing Compounds, of which the following is afull and accurate description.

This invention applies particularly to that class of compounds which arereduced by means of gases, and has for its objects the reduction of heatlosses, the regeneration of the reducing gases, after oxidation thereof,so that the same body of gas can be used again and again, and also theemployment of reducing gases under pressure.

It is old in the art to reduce compounds, such as ores, by mixing themwith coals in retorts, and then blowing a current of air through themixture, so that the melting temperature and the reducing gases aresimultaneously created. In order that the reduced metal be not againoxidized, it is necessary to add some chemicals that protect the moltenmetal from the fresh air that is blown through. It is also old to placeore, or a mixture of ore and coal in one retort, and to fill anotherretort, connected to the first, with coal. The connection is regulatedby valves. The coal-con taining retort is now raised to a propertemperature, by means of a blast of air, and when reducing gases areformed, the valves in the connection are opened, and access to theore-containing retort is afforded. After this operation has continuedfor a certain length. of time, the valves are closed, thecoal-containing retort is again raised to the requisite temperature, andso on. The operation is thus discontinuous. It has also been attemptedto heat the coals and the ores by means of external heat, but this hasnot been a success, mainly because the retortscould not be madeperfectly air-tight.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a vertical section ofone embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal sectionof the pump and reversible valve mechanism on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The same reference characters indicate corresponding parts in thedifferent figures.

A designates a shaft-furnace, and is hereafter referred to as thecentral shaft. It may be closed tightly at its lower end by a chamber,which, however, is out of the region in which the heat and reducinggases act. This shaft is filled with a compound Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed Gctober 21, 1913.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Serial No. 796,419.

to be reduced, as an ore, or. a mixture eomposed of ore and coal, andthe chamber re ferred to is so constructed that any portion of thecharge in the furnace after reduction may be removed. A new charge maybe ad mitted through the upper opening of A. Near the lower end of A isan opening B in the sidewall of A, which preferably has a smallerdiameter than A. A little above is another and similar opening C. Thedistance between B and C may be varied, and depends on the strength ofthe effect desired. The openings B and C lead to sideshafts D and E,preferably inclined up wardly, made of fire-brick. These shafts willhereafter be referred to as the sideshafts.

The inclination of the side'shafts is sufficiently great to permit coalto slide down their inner walls. At B and C are suitable means forpreventing the coal from entering the central shaft, which may consistof grat-- ings l and 2. varies with the charge of coal needed. Thecentral shaft A is preferably not terminated directly above C, but risessome distance above, so that the central shaft has a POIUOII.

which is beyond the region in which the heat and reducing gases work.

In order that the side-shafts may be filled with coal without a loss ofgases, they have air-tight inclosures F, which may have any familiarmeans, as for instance, a chamber with internal and external valves. Theexternal valve may be opened, the chamber filled with coal, the externalvalve closed,

and the internal valve opened, when the coal passes into the side-shaftwithout loss of gases. The upper end of A may have a similar closure. Onthe lower sides of the two side-shafts are communicating cylinders G, H,I, K. These are closed at their lower ends, but have means permitting ofready cleasing. Their dimensions vary with the kind of coal used, andthe desired reducing power. It is evident that when a charge of coal isplaced in the side-shafts, these cylinders will also be filled. In thesecylinders Gr, H, I, K are openings, through which air can be blown byany familiar form of ap paratus. This blowing apparatus works in unisonwith a pump that agitates the gases in the furnace, so that the freshair blown into the apparatus always enters on a predetermined side ofthe central shaft. The blowing apparatus herein shown comprises Thelength of the side-shafts a blower 80 having an eduction pipe 81provided with a valve 82 and branches S3 and 84 connected with thecylinders G and H and an eduction pipe 85 provided with a valve 86 andwith branches S7 and 88 connected with the cylinders I and K.

The entire system thus described is preferably inclosed by iron walls,so that the shafts are built of fireresisting material,

and the iron inclosing walls exclude the air. This exclusion of the airis the morereadily effected because there are no valve means in theregion. The entire furnace is also filled with coal or ore, so that theaction is energetic. The side-shafts have openings on the ends farthestaway from the central shaft, designated by L, M, these openings areconnected with the ports of a pump 10, which has its ingress portconnected with one side-shaft, and the egress port connected with theother sideshaft, in such a way, by any familiar valve means, that theconnections can be reversed. The drawings illustrate one such means. Apipe 15 connects the opening M of the side shaft D with a two-waypassage 20 on one side of the pump at the lower end thereof and with atwo-way passage 25 on the same side of the pump at the upper endthereof. A pipe 30 connects the opening L of the inclined shaft E with atwo-way passage 35 communicating with .the upper part of the pumpcylinder and with a two-way passage 40 connected with the lower end ofthe pump cylinder. The two-way passage 20 is provided with an automaticinlet valve 21 and with an automatic outlet valve side by sidetherewith, the two-way passage 25 is provided with an automatic outletvalve 26 and with an automatic inlet valve 27, the two way passage 35 isprovided with an automatic outlet valve 36 and an automatic inlet valve37 and the two-way passage 40 is provided with an automatic inlet valve41 and an automatic outlet valve side by side therewith. The two-waypassages 20, 25, 85 and 40 are provided respectively with two-way cocks45, 50, 55 and 60. The cook 55 is provided at one end with a hand wheel56. The cocks are preferably connected by means of cranks and links asshown so as to be actuated simultaneously when said hand wheel isturned. Each cock in one position closes one of the ports of the two-waypassage and opens the other port of the same passage. When this pump isset into action, the gases in the apparatus are circulated, and thedirection of circulation may be reversed. The conducting pipes betweenthe pump and the apparatus are preferably so arranged as to absorb theheat of the gases, and protect the pump. The side-shafts also havevalved openings and 71 to lead away the gases, if so desired. Thecentral shaft also has a valved opening 72 for permitting the egress ofgases. The valves may be given springs, so as to act as safety valves.The workings of the apparatus can now be demonstrated, with reference toparticular compounds, as iron ores. Both of the side-shafts are filledwith coke, so that the lower cylinders G, H, I, K are also filled. Thenthe central shaft is filled with a mixture of ores and earth, or withores alone. The pipes for leading away gases from the side-shafts areclosed in one of the side-shafts and opened in the other, and air isblown into the cylinders of that side-shaft in which the said leadingpipes are closed. A current of air is, therefore, created throughout thefurnace, beginning in the side-shaft having its pipes for leading awaygases closed, proceeding through the central shaft, then into the otherside-shaft, and then through the pipes for leading away the gases. Ahigh temperature is soon attained. The temperature can be regulated tothe desired point, which in this case is only up to the point necessaryto produce a bright red glow, and in some cases, only up to a dark redglow. The gases generated fro-m the coke will now reduce the hot ore tothe metal, and the reduction will take place energetically, and at a lowtemperature, as the pulsating circulation of the gases, and the newlygenerated gases, will be very effective. The gases that are oxidized inreducing the ores, will be regenerated, or reduced to their originalstate, by means of the circulation over the glowing coke and the air 7blast. The gases will be regenerated by the heated coke. The excess ofgases is led away.

As soon as the circulation of the gases has been maintained for adefinite period, the direction of their circulation, and that of the airblast, is reversed. At the same time the pipes in the side-shaft throughwhich the air is to be admitted are closed. The process now goes on asbefore described, save that the direction of circulation of the gases isnow reversed.

The reduced ore may be removed by means of the chamber at the lower partof the central shaft. The reduced ores are replaced by the ores in thecentral shaft that are beyond the region in which the heat acts, so thatthe process is continuous. Similarly fresh quantities of ore-coalmixture and coke may be introduced without interrupting the process bymeans of the filling means described. The absence of all valveconnections between the various shafts permits their inclosure in ironwalls, so that all the heat is conserved, and also, that the gases maybe maintained above the atmospheric pressure.

The number of shafts and the form of pump may vary, as well as theinclinations of all shafts. It may be sometimes necessary from thenature of the compound to be reduced, to admit a limited and regulatedamount of oxygen to the reducing furnace. This may be readily done by avery small opening, or a suitable valve 75.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for reducing compounds, the combination of a closedmain shaft adapted to contain the material to be reduced, auxiliaryclosed shafts directly connected therewith and adapted to containcarbon, means for introducing air into one of the auxiliary shafts andcirculating means adapted to take the combustion gases from the otherauxiliary shaft and deliver them to the first auxiliary shaft.

2. In an apparatus for reducing compounds, the combination of a mainshaft adapted to contain the material to be reduced, auxiliary shaftsdirectly connected therewith and adapted to contain carbon, means forintroducing air into one of the auxiliary shafts, means for maintaininga pressure of gases in said shafts, and circulating means adapted totake the combustion gases from the other auxiliary shaft and deliverthem to the first auxiliary shaft.

3. In an apparatus for reducing compounds, the combination of a closedmain shaft adapted to contain the material to be reduced, auxiliaryclosed shafts directly connected therewith and adapted to containcarbon, means for introducing air into one of the auxiliary shafts,means for introducing air into the main shaft, and circulating meansadapted to take the combustion gases from the other auxiliary shaft anddeliver them to the first auxiliary shaft.

4. In an apparatus for reducing compounds, the combination of a mainshaft adapted to contain the material to be reduced, inclined auxiliaryshafts directly connected therewith, one near the top and the other nearthe bottom of said main shaft and adapted to contain carbon, means forintroducing air into one of the auxiliary shafts, means for maintaininga pressure of gases in said shafts, and circulating means adapted totake the combustion gases from the other auxiliary shaft and deliverthem to the first auxiliary shaft.

5. In an apparatus for reducing compounds, the combination of a mainshaft adapted to contain the material to be reduced, auxiliary shaftsdirectly connected therewith and adapted to contain carbon, means formaintaining a pressure of the gases contained in said shafts, means forintroducing air into either of said auxiliary shafts, circulating meansadapted to take the combustion gases from either of said auxiliaryshafts and deliver them into the other auxiliary shaft, and means forreversing the direction of the circulatory current.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERMANN NIEVVERTI-I.

WVitnesses I VOLDEMAR I'IAUPT, HENRY HAsrER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. O.

